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By Gary Henderson
North American Premiere
Preview Sept 11, Open Sept 12, Close Sept 21
Showtime at 8PM nightly (no performance on Mondays, no matinees)
Buy tickets now!
"When you do it, take this blindfold off. I want to see your face, and I want you to see mine. I want you to have that."
In the washroom of a deserted building, three women wait. Two are armed; the third is their bound and gagged captive who lies unconscious on the floor. The hostage, a policewoman, is the trump card in a tense face-off between protestors and armed police. The armed women- one calm and resolute, the other restless and volatile- wait for a phone call that will either save or end their victim’s life. As they wait night tightens around them, claustrophobia closes in and time starts to run out, but the call doesn't come...
This exciting play from New Zealand was brought to my attention by a playwright’s agent with whom we have been dealing concerning last season’s rewarding hit production of Cherish. It was written in 1996, and was awarded Best New Short Play for writer Gary Henderson and Best Female Newcomer for actress Nicola Kawana at the 1996 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards in Wellington NZ.
Though originally written to be performed by two women of Maori descent and one Pakeha woman (Pakeha= the Maori word for white New Zealanders), it was the opinion of both myself and the NZ agent, Katrina Chandra, that it would translate effectively to the Native Canadian experience in Canada. The situations of the Maori and Aboriginal peoples are amazingly comparable, and, while the play could just as easily be performed by three Caucasian actresses, the racial aspect brings a specificity that makes another, larger statement. This being our second play from New Zealand in the past six months, we hope it is a sign of a long and lasting relationship between our two theatre communities.
GOAL: To introduce a play that is unheard of in our region, and to show the similarities in culture. I specifically looked for a play that featured a small, all-female cast and dealt with violence among women in a timely and non-judgmental manner. Special thanks to Katrina at PLAYMARKET. |
